Rapid Hope Loss
by Tulipa
Summary: An assassin, a target, a moral dilemma of life.
1. Prologue

Rapid Hope Loss  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plotline Summary: An assassin, a target, a moral dilemma of love and life.  
  
She eased into the room hoping to not disturb the raucous discussion at the front of the fluorescently lit room. Achieving that and more she strode confidently over to her designated seat. She was in place, awaiting her cue in the grand performance of life. She was here for a job not pleasure. Her job was not fun but she was the best to do it. Her background proved it.  
  
She was on the hunt, had been tracking for two months now. The job was nearly done, and soon she was to rid the world of another soulless creature. Her subject was here, she could sense him, moving behind her. Late again but she knew his every movement and that he was never more than five minutes late. She knew every little detail about his movements. She had been well informed.  
  
An hour of questions, reporters and ego primping the IPO was nearly over, ten minutes before the end she knew. Her cue. She moved with ease to the restrooms. Casually entering pushing the door with GENTLEMAN, one where just minutes ago had been cleared. One where her subject had just walked in.  
  
Ten minutes later she re-emerged. The job was done, she smiled grimly as she pushed her mop down the hall. Her guilt was covered by a cleaner's uniformly and she exited the building once again in her black suit. Jumping into a white van, Buffy turned to her team. "Another one down."  
  
Please r and r  
  
A/N This is the beginning of my first fic and I would love some reviews. Will be Spuffy eventually 


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Thanks to Dee12 (huge fan of your stuff so very excited about the nice review) and Pumpkinbelly for reviewing!! This is the introduction to the story and a little background. It will hopefully clear up anything that the prologue left unanswered! ENJOY!  
  
Chapter One:  
  
Buffy Summers peered out of the tiny window and thanked God for rich clients. Cruising at 35 000 feet, she was on her way to Australia. Her 'company' surrounded her. Willow Rosenberg tapping away at her computer, Rupert Giles reading up on the newest target and Xander Harris examining their equipment. Although small, the four of them were well known in their area of business.  
  
They had been working together for a long time. Six years all up, in November. Giles and Buffy had been together for much longer, since she was fifteen. Twelve years today she thought wistfully. She had shed her tear for the day, for her parents and for the life they had inadvertently led her into.  
  
Giles was her uncle, well known in the surveillance industry and now in a more specialized field. Whilst he had been a career minded bachelor his sister had married and settled down unknowingly with 'retired' gangster. She stopped herself, not wanting to reminisce any more than she had that day. She instead focused on the cloud patterns outside of the window and the task at hand.  
  
A new assignment always got her interested and she was finding the new target intriguing. She gazed at the photos she had spread out in front of her. To anyone else they would have looked like an array of different men. There was even an old lady somewhere in there. He was of course a master of disguise, considering his line of work. Which was also her job. Buffy started 'Where did that thought come from?' She reminded herself for the millionth time that she did the world a favor. She got rid of those bastards who would kill in cold blood.  
  
A start from Willow shook her out of her thoughts. "Uh, you guys should probably come see this!" she blurted out with a note of panic in her voice. The three quickly went to her side and peered at the photo she had up on her laptop. There in all his glory was Buffy's father. As if on cue, Giles and Buffy cocked their heads. "What does my father have to do with the target?" Buffy asked quietly.  
  
Willow looked even more panicked at that. "Well you see the thing is .." she muttered. "Wills! Just out with it!" Buffy spat out. "Okay, okay, well his father was Ethan Rayne." Buffy paled, before collapsing into one of the plush seats. "No, no, no, no." she kept repeating,  
  
Giles knelt in front of her. Taking her hand he tried soothing her. "NO, I'm not going through with this again. He is dead and so is his family. It was over! It is over." She screamed, before bursting into tears again. Giles shot a look at Xander and Willow, who getting the hint quickly moved to the back part of the jet. He then sat next to Buffy and held her hand, waiting.  
  
She finally lifted her head. "What am I going to do?" she whispered. "Oh Buffy, I don't know. I know you said that your revenge was complete. Dear Lord I helped you. But what do you want to do about him. We can go ahead with the assignment or stay off it. You know the rules we have about personal involvement." He answered calmly, knowing it was the only way to get through to her.  
  
She smiled weakly "Okay, I'm composed now, sorry I know I haven't had an outburst like that in awhile. It's just still quite painful even after all these years." she trailed off floating back to her childhood. "Oh and get Willow and Xander back in here, we need an outline for the next few months. And we need it before we get to Sydney."  
  
Giles chuckled to himself, that was his niece, always in control. Quickly sobering himself up, he went to retrieve the remainder of their group. Before he opened the door though, he turned remembering that she hadn't answered his question. "Buffy, we're going to keep the job? What about the personal involvement?"  
  
Even though her back was to him, he knew what face she was wearing when she answered. "It's not personal anymore; he's just an evil asshole like the rest of them. Even if he is William Rayne."  
  
A/N please read and review. Reviews are like cookies, without the calories and with all the goodness!! oh and criticism is welcome. I'm just getting started so its probs needed!! 


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